Scaffold and sawhorse bracket



y 3, 1956 D. G. FORESTA ETAL 2,753,222

SCAFFOLD AND SAWHORSE BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 30, 1955 INVENTORS oomv/v/ae 0. P0865774,

W/LL/AM y 3, 1956 D. s. FORESTA ET AL 2,753,222

SCAFFOLD AND SAWHORSE BRACKET Filed Aug. 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS A f Toe/[E vs,

SCAFFOLD AND SAWHORSE BRACKET Dominick G. Foresta and William Levin, Herkimer, N. Y. Application August 30, 1955, Serial No. 531,341

3 Claims. (Cl. 304-) This invention relates to an improved bracket for assembling components of a sawhorse, a trestle, or a scafiold, or the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a generally superior bracket of the character indicated, that can be manufactured at relatively low cost, is easy to assemble and disassemble with related structural components, such as lengths of standard lumber, and that effects a strong, rigid connection between the related components of a structure.

Another object is to provide a bracket as stated which can be formed entirely from sheet metal material of sufficiently heavy gauge, with the exception, of course, of the fastening elements carried by the bracket.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view. of a bracket in accordance with the present invention assembling a beam and a pair of legs, the beam and legs being shown fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is an end view from the right of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a contracted, fragmentary perspective view of a trestle or sawhorse whose components are connected together with brackets in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of a scaffold in volving such brackets; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary exploded view of another structure in accordance with the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and first to Figures 1 to 4 thereof, the numerals 10 designate a pair of downwardly divergent legs, and the numeral 12 designates the horizontal beam or top rail of the sawhorse or trestle. The legs 10 have upper ends 11, and beveled portions 13 at their upper ends which are engaged. The beam has ends 15 which are preferably downwardly beveled. In the erection of the trestle, a pair of brackets 14 formed in accordance with the present invention are used. Since the brackets are identically formed, the description of one will suflice.

The bracket 14 is formed entirely of sheet metal, of a selected gauge found to be sufliciently strong as to in sure against bending or weakening of the bracket when the same is in use. The bracket comprises a rectangular beam socket 17, open at its inner end, and having laterally spaced side walls 16 and integral at their top edges with a horizontally disposed top wall 13.

Extending between and integrally connected to the loweredges of the side walls 16 is a bottom wall 20, which, as shown in Figure 1, lies in a plane declining outwardly from the horizontal top wall 18. An outer end wall 22 extends between and is integral with the outer edges of the side walls 16 and declines outwardly relative to the top wall 18.

United States Patent 0 For the purpose of providing lightness without sacrificing strength, openings 24, of the trapezoidal shape of the side walls 16, are formed in the respective side walls. Similarly, a rectangular opening 26 (see Figure 4) is formed in the upper portion of the outer end wall 22, for the same purpose.

In the lower end portion of the end wall 22 there is formed a rectangular opening 28 (Figures 1 and 4), and adapted to project through the opening 28 is the smaller end of a wedge 30. The wedge 30, as shown in Figure 3, can be formed of a length of sheet steel bent to a channel shape, with the wedge having an inverted U-shape in cross section.

To engage the associated end of beam 12 in the socket 17, it is merely necessary that the end of the beam, which can comprise a length of two-by-four material, be inserted in the open inner end of the socket. Then the smaller end of the wedge 30 is inserted through the open end of the socket, below the beam, and is tapped into place, so as to press the beam against the underside of the top wall 18 of the socket. When the wedge is in its final position, the beam is frictionally held between the top wall 18 and the upper surface of the wedge.

When the end of the beam 12 is to be removed from the socket 17, it is merely necessary that the small end of the wedge 30, which projects outwardly through the opening 28 in the end wall 22, be tapped, so as to drive the wedge to the right in Figure 1, thus to free the beam and enable removal of the bracket from the beam end.

Fixedly secured to the lower edges of the side walls 16 of the beam socket are walls which define a pair of downwardly and laterally divergent leg sockets arranged to receive the upper ends of the legs 10, the leg sockets being in communication at their upper ends, as shown in Fig ure 3.

The leg brackets 31 also decline outwardly relative to the beam socket top wall 18.

The leg sockets 31 are formed of sheet metal, and have outer side walls 34, integral along their inner side edges with an inner end wall 36. integrally connected between the outer side edges of the side walls 34 is an outer end wall 38, and formed in the respective side walls, for lightness without sacrifice of strength, are openings 40.

Welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the outer sides of the lower end portions of the end walls 36, 38 are L- shaped brackets 42, the horizontal ears 48 of which lie in a common plane at the lower ends of the leg sockets, and project laterally, outwardly from the end walls 36, 38 as shown to particular advantage in Figure 1. A leg wedge 41 is provided, and is formed from a single piece of sheet metal, having longitudinally elongated web 44 (Figures 1 and 3) and upwardly convergent side flanges 46 adapted to engage against the inner surfaces of the legs 10 when in place in the leg sockets. The ends 49 of the web 44 extend beyond the ends of the upwardly convergent flanges 46, and underlie the outwardly projecting ears 48 of the brackets 42. Formed in the web extensions 49 and in the outwardly projecting ears 48 of the brackets 42 are registering openings receiving bolts 50 having on their upper ends laterally projecting heads 52 engaging the outer sides of the vertical portions 51 of the brackets 42, so as to hold the bolts 50 against rotation when wing nuts 54 are turned on the lower ends of the bolts toward the undersides of the wedge extensions 49.

It will be seen that when the nuts 56 are tightened the leg wedge 41 is forced upwardly between and in engagement with the inner sides of the legs 10 so as to forcibly engage the outer sides of the legs against the outer side walls of the leg sockets and to force the upper ends of the legs against theunderside of the bottom wall 20 of the beam socket, thereby frictionally securing the legs 10 in the leg sockets.

Referring now to Figure 5, the bracket is here shown in use in the erection of a scaffold adapted to lean against the wall W of a building or other structure. The beam in this instance, designated at 56, is used in association with downwardly divergent legs 57. The legs 57 are cut from lengths of two-by-four material, with the upper ends being beveled in the same manner as shown in Figure 3. The legs 57 of course can be cut to any desired length, as can the beam 56.

In this arrangement, each bracket is connected to a separate beam 56. In other words, two beams are used in this instance, said beams being extended in parallel relation toward the wall W. The beams are locked in the beam sockets in the same manner previously described, and after a pair of scaffold frames have been provided, each through the use of one of the brackets 14, said scaffold frames are spaced apart, and the free ends of the beams 56 are disposed in abutting relation to the wall W. Planking 58 is simply laid on top of the beams, extending between the same, and the scaffold is ready for use. It is not necessary, in this connection, to utilize nails to hold the scaffold against the building, it being necessary merely that the scaffold be leaned against the building, with the beams 56 thereof extending horizontally.

In Figure 6, the bracket is illustrated in association with a beam 60 of substantially greater vertical cross section than the beams previously described herein. Thus, the beam 60 could be a length of two-by-six, two-by-eight, or two-by-twelve lumber, and would be usable whenever a heavy trestle board is required. This might be desirable, for example, when the device is being used for inside scatfolding, or alternatively, when the sawhorse or trestle is required to withstand a heavy vertical load.

It is merely necessary to cut slots 62 in the opposite ends of the beam 60, said slots extending in a plane paralleling the plane of the underside of the beam, and being spaced vertically from said underside of the beam a distance equal to the height of a two-by-four piece of lumber. The slot 62 receives the top wall 18 of the bracket, and the wedge 30 is tapped into place in the manner described above, to effect locking of the beam in the bracket.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not mess sarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended 4 claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bracket of the character described, a beam end receiving socket having an open inner end, said beam end socket comprising a top wall, spaced side walls depending from said top wall, an outer end wall on and extending between the ends of the side walls remote from said open end, and a bottom wall extending between said side walls and spaced below said top wall at a distance greater than the vertical cross section of a beam end to be engaged in the beam socket, a beam wedge slidably resting upon said bottom wall, a pair of laterally and downwardly divergent leg sockets on and depending from said beam and socket, said leg sockets having outer side walls, inner and outer end walls extending between the side walls, the leg socket end walls having lower edges, and the leg sockets being devoid of inner side walls, brackets on the leg socket end walls having ears in the regions of the lower edges of the leg socket end walls and pro- I jecting outwardly therefrom, a leg wedge positioned betical bolts traversing the ears and the leg wedge extensions .for moving the leg wedge upwardly.

2. In a bracket of the character described, a beam end receiving socket having an open inner end, said beam end socket comprising a top wall, spaced side walls depending from said top wall, an outer end wall on and extending between the ends of the side walls remote from said open end, and a bottom wall extending between said side walls and spaced below said top wall at a distance greater than the vertical cross section of a beam end to be engaged in the beam socket, a beam wedge slidably resting upon said bottom wall, a pair of laterally and downwardly divergent leg sockets on and depending from said beam and socket, said leg sockets having outer side walls, inner and outer end walls extending between the side walls, the leg socket end walls having lower edges, and the leg sockets being devoid of inner side walls, brackets on the leg socket end walls having ears in the regions of the lower edges of the leg socket end walls and projecting outwardly therefrom, a leg wedge positioned between the leg sockets for engaging inner sides of legs engaged in the leg sockets, said leg wedge having upwardly converging sides for engaging inner sides of legs engaged in the leg sockets, said wedge having extensions on its ends disposed beneath said bracket ears, and vertical bolts traversing the ears and the leg wedge extensions for moving the leg wedge upwardly, said beam end socket bottom wall declining inwardly relative to the beam end socket top wall, and said bracket ears being in a plane declining inwardly relative to the beam end socket bottom wall.

3. In a bracket of the character described, a beam end receiving socket having an open inner end, said beam end socket comprising a top wall, spaced side Walls depending from said top wall, an outer end wall on and extending between the ends of the side walls remote from said open end, and a bottom wall extending between said side walls and spaced below said top wall at a distance greater than the vertical cross section of a beam end to be engaged in the beam socket, a beam wedge slidably resting upon said bottom wall, a pair of laterally and downwardly divergent leg sockets on and depending from said beam andsocket, said leg sockets having outer side walls, inner and outer end walls extending between the side walls, the leg socket end walls having lower edges, and

the leg sockets being devoid of inner side walls, brackets on the leg socket end walls having ears in the regions ,of the lower edges of the leg socket end walls and projecting outwardly therefrom, a leg wedge positioned between the leg sockets for engaging inner sides of legs engaged in the leg sockets, said leg wedge having upwardly converging sides for engaging inner sides of legs engaged in the leg sockets, said wedge having extensions on its ends disposed beneath said bracket ears, and vertical bolts traversing the ears and the leg wedge extensions for moving the leg wedge upwardly, said beam end socket bottom wall declining inwardly relative to the beam end socket top wall, and said bracket ears being in a plane declining inwardly relative to the beam end socket bottom wall, the inner and outer end walls of the leg sockets being parallel to each other and declining outwardly relative to the beam end socket top wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Jan.;8, 1948 

